The Exhibitor (1959)

Industry Pledges Complete Support To New Brotherhood Week Campaign NEW YORK — The full support of America’s theatres and production-distribution forces were pledged last week for the 1960 Brother •hood Week campaign by 100 motion picture industry leaders at the annual Brotherhood Week luncheon at the Hotel Astor. Max E. Youngstein, vice-president of United Artists, and chairman of the amusement division of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, delivered the principal address and presided. Among those in attendance were Harry Brandt of Brandt Theatres, David Chasman of United Artists, Ned E. Depinet, Charles Einfeld of 20th-Fox, Ernest Emerling of Loew’s Theatres, Ed Fabian of Fabian Thea¬ tres, Manny Frisch of Randforce Amusement Corporation, Fred Goldberg of UA, Razz Goldstein of Allied Artists, William J. Heineman of UA, Mori Krushen of UA, Roger H. Lewis of UA, and I. E. Lopert of Lopert Theatres. Also John J. O’Connor of Universal Pic¬ tures, Clem Peny of Lopert Theatres, David Picker of UA, Harold and Samuel Rinzler of Randforce Amusement Sorp., Burton E. Robbins of National Screen Services, Samuel Rosen of Stanley Warner Management Corp., Adolph Schimel of Universal Pictures, Si Seadler of MGM, Burt Sloane of UA, and Murry O. Strausberg of Interboro Circuit. Youngstein noted that many of the cam¬ paigns have undershot their marks because the people most concerned have been short¬ changed as to the workings of the NCCJ, its problems, and accomplishments. He thought that while the $40,000 or better raised last year was good, it could have been better and should have contributed more to the overall total raised of $2,700,000. He thought that we haven’t found the answer to letting the industry know what it’s all about, with the objectives, how the money is spent, etc., beclouded. With the appearance of swastikas again in many places, the aims and workings of the NCCJ is most important today. William Heineman, United Artists vicepresident, who was distributor chairman in past campaigns, stressed the need for a Brotherhood campaign today more than ever. He blamed the press for many of today’s troubles because they glorify the hoodlum acts of the youth of today. Heineman agreed to serve as distributor chairman in the campaign this year, and Spyros S. Skouras will do the same for the exhibitor division. Both suggested the addition to the staff of exhibitor heads of Allied, TOA, and the ITOA. Youngstein promised he would attempt to get greater cooperation from the production end when he returns to his post in Hollywood. SELF-REGULATION ( Continued, from page 7) ciation, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, and that it has had a code of its own in effect since the 1880’s. This code, White said, “has always rejected all copy which may be considered a violation of our high standards of honesty and morality.” Mrs. Twyman detailed the special preview¬ ing of films by major national organizations in America, principally the Catholic National Legion of Decency and the Film Estimate Board of National Organizations, their sys¬ tem of ratings, etc. She also detailed the preparations of study guides, in connection with the published doc¬ Leo Jaffe, left, Columbia Pictures first vicepresident and treasurer, and Rube Jackter, right, Columbia vice-president and general sales manager, are seen with Turner Shelton, director, U.S. Information Agency, at the pre¬ miere of the U.S.-U.S.S.R. cultural exchange ballet film, "Swan Lake," at the Trans-Lux Normandie, New York City. ument “The Joint Estimates of Current En¬ tertainment Films” — popularly known as the Green Sheet. She said, the purpose of the Green Sheet was as follows: “The re¬ views in this publication provide movie¬ goers with a guide to the selection of enter¬ tainment films in current release. They pre¬ sent the composite opinions of the organiza¬ tions listed, and give consideration to a wide range of tastes.” She said that as a service to FEBNO and to the public, the MPAA un¬ derwrites the cost of printing and distribut¬ ing approximately 23,000 copies each month. The position of the Independent Film Im¬ porters and Distributors of America was ex¬ plained by Richard Brandt, one of three gov¬ ernors of the group, and president, Trans Lux Distributing Corporation. He said, “The foreign film industry is highly specialized and fairly limited . . . Foreign films of lower grade are generally not accepted by our spe¬ cialized public . . . Because of the differentstandards of taste and morality in foreign countries, many members of IFIDA do not attempt to get an MPAA Production Code Seal. “Every one of our pictures has the U.S. Government stamp of approval since each film must pass through U.S. Customs, at which point it is censored and deletions are sometimes required. We would rather not have censorship of this kind since, improp¬ erly used, it might possibly limit the ability of people in foreign lands to express their full thoughts here. However, this censorship does specifically restrict the entrance of any obscene material. “No major newspaper in America will ac¬ cept obscene ads . . . Children do not attend the art theatres of America to any important extent . . . Our organization is presently con¬ sidering a self-imposed restrictive ban against children on certain films that need the ma¬ ture mind to understand them . . . There are more than a sufficient number of checks on the business of importing and distributing foreign motion pictures.” Another witness was Abram F. Myers, chairman of the board of directors and gen¬ eral counsel, Allied States Association of Mo¬ tion Picture Exhibitors, who said, “Theatres in our Association are primarily subsequent run or neighborhood theatres and small town theatres. Theatres of this class for the most part serve the family trade. They undoubted¬ ly. Y. Commission Seeks Bingo Control Law ALBANY — The New York State Lottery Control Commission has submitted to Gov¬ ernor Nelson A. Rockefeller legislation that would add a section to the Penal Law pro¬ hibiting unlicensed bingo playing under the guise of entertainment or without charge. “These proposed amendments,” said Judge Richards W. Hannah, Commission chairman, “should remove any possible doubt as to the playing of free or entertainment bingo. They reiterate the position of this commission that only duly licensed organizations may con¬ duct bingo in municipalities which have adopted a bingo ordinance or local law and in no other.” Several months ago, a man was arrested in Niagara Falls for conducting an unlicensed bingo game. The case was thrown out. Judge Hannah explained that enactment of the commission’s proposal would give law en¬ forcement agencies the authority to ban un¬ licensed bingo games, whether free or not. The suggested legislation would make any person or organization, other than those li¬ censed under the General Municipal Law, guilty of a misdemeanor for “holding, op¬ erating or conducting” bingo. Col. Names Drive Winners NEW YORK — Columbia’s Milwaukee branch took top honors in the company’s re¬ cently concluded “Salute to the President” sales drive honoring A. Schneider. Milwau¬ kee, headed by branch manager Harry Olshan, led throughout most of the six -month long competition and held a slim lead over runner-up Minneapolis and third -pi ace Cleveland in the final standings. In the division manager’s contest, Carl Shalit, Columbia’s central division manager, was the winner, with Harry Weiner, eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey divi¬ sion manager, finishing second. Leo Jaffe, Columbia’s first vice-president and treasurer, won the captain’s contest with a team consisting of the New Haven, Albany, Buffalo, Boston, and Philadelphia branches. ly get the greater part of the children’s pa¬ tronage. The operators of these small the¬ atres are in direct, immediate contact with their patrons. If the entertainment they offer is offensive to good taste, or otherwise un¬ satisfactory, they are first to feel the public’s resentment and to suffer from it . . . The small independent theatres never have had complete freedom of choice in the selection of films . . . An exhibitor sometimes must run a film dealing with or containing dia¬ logue that he would prefer not to present . . . The exhibitors of the U.S., I am certain, welcomed the Code as an asset to the indus¬ try’s good will . . . They have at all times given the Code their moral support.” John C. Broumas, a member of the execu¬ tive committee, Theatre Owners of America, and head of the Maryland Theatre Owners Association, a TOA affiliate, told chairman Granahan that “from exhibition’s viewpoint, the Production Code is more than adequate as a guardian of good taste in motion pic¬ ture entertainment.” Thus, a suggestion from the House Post Office subcommittee investigating obscenity that the MPAA support legislation giving its Code the force of a Federal law that would make exhibition of non-Code films illegal was rejected by industry spokesmen. Chairman Granahan recessed the subcom¬ mittee with an appeal that MPAA “try to make the Code a little stricter.” 12 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR February 10, I960